Ahh ok. Yes, the out of browser experience does play a role here (almost sounds like an out of body experience). What we mean by Windows + WPF is simply that when you look at Adobe AIR depth isn't it's strong point and you won't read that in the brochure. To allow folks access to an operating system in a much deeper capacity means that trust is somewhat sacrificed and it's something that we balance quite carefully (obviously). To break out of the security context of the browser is bad, as then it takes on a whole new meaning of the words "I dare you to make Silverlight a Trojan virus". I suspect that's why Adobe AIR was spun up away from Flash Player - as even Flash right now is facing some security issues (http://blog.digitalbackcountry.com/?p=1359 - in that being popular and secure is hard work).
To consider a x-platform mutation of Silverlight/WPF is different discussion and one that has both pro's and con's associated to it. What I can say is that providing deep access via Silverlight to the metal isn't likely to occur anytime soon. WPF however obviously has this capability - today - and well it's installed on more machines right now than Adobe AIR (Vista on OSX included - so it's semi-X-platform heh). Windows XP is being depreciated and Windows Vista + Future Operating Systems will eventually take its place and that's something to consider long-term. From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Craig Dunn Sent: Monday, 31 March 2008 4:30 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [OzSilverlight] Silverlight 3.0 wishlist, now's your chance. Seems to me that AIR is really just Adobe grabbing an open-source browser, compiling with Flash and producing a host that can run directly on the OS... just add your custom code and call it an "application". So basically I'm describing a Silverlight 'runtime' standalone/deployable (ie .EXE or .APP, depending on your platform :) to produce a branded, out-of-browser experience -- the main advantage (?) being offline use... I believe Moonlight already does something of the sort - and i a;sp understand it's non-trivial to create a 'host' for every platform. You don't "need" the browser (although it makes sense for Adobe, because they can claim to 'leverage your existing javascript & html skills') - just some sort of loader/host with direct i/o & networking. maybe it starts to look too much like J4va? or... WPF "everywhere" (lol) To put it in context - the http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/msdnreader/ and it's commercial NY Times/Seattle Intelligencer counterparts are WPF _applications_ - very cool (i quite like the experience) but beyond a Mac deployment, for example. With the increasing power of the controls in SL2 (+3), an offline reader of that sort that could run on Mac (and s60/iPhone, while we're at it) in Silverlight. Other apps might make sense too - but you (MS) may say "that's what Windows is for"... cd On Mon, Mar 31, 2008 at 5:01 PM, Scott Barnes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>> wrote: Craig, Great list! Question, you mentioned AIR / Outside browser activation. Could you expand on this? From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>] On Behalf Of Craig Dunn Sent: Monday, 31 March 2008 3:19 PM To: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> Subject: Re: [OzSilverlight] Silverlight 3.0 wishlist, now's your chance. In the interests of lifting the signal-to-noise ratio (at the very least starting a flamewar on something relevant), my thoughts on SL3 (just OTTOMH, OK?): * SQL engine in the isolated storage (ala Gears). OK with Linq and serialization there is probably an equivalent amount of querying/storage functionality, but just maybe this would still be useful? Even as i type it, it sounds less interesting... * Geography CLR types from Katmai. Mapping and location-based apps are only going to get more common - and the Katmai types are pretty functional even on their own (ie without SQL08 'behind them'). Assuming a SL2 VirtualEarth 'control' appears (and even if it doesn't), being able to perform geo stuff might be useful on the client. While you're at it - decouple them from Katmai altogether and put in the regular framework. Linq to LatLong...? * Photosynth (and 3D engine)... OK, I reckon it'll be there anyway, but worth a mention. AFAICT taking DeepZoom to the "next level" will require some sort of 3D engine to layout the MultiScaleImages that make up a Photosynth scene in 3D space anyway. 3D plus the Geography stuff would enable a cool 'silverlightearth' viewer... * Higher level controls (either from MS or 3rd parties in SL2)... bitmap image manipulation, Xaml editor host (ie abstract object-based-drawing control), advanced TextBox. See buzzword.com<http://buzzword.com>, photoshop.com/express<http://photoshop.com/express>, blist.com<http://blist.com> for the sorts of Flash apps that would be cool to enable in SL3. Extend the controlset to toolbars, provide 'windowing' of property sheets, pinnable 'windows', etc inside the SL control/canvas. A 'window' control may sound counter-intuitive, but then why write the docking/pinning/hiding/minimizing/tabbing over & over. We're already using SL1 for an cut-down-enterprise-like app... * Outside of browser activation - just because AIR does. Input handling would need to trap mouse-wheel; how about multitouch (Silverlight on Surface? iPhone?) * SL2/3 on mobile... i'm sure that's coming anyway too. Are there any plans for special UI handling on phones - trapping the softkeys differently on small-screen nokias for eg.? Are the built-in controls 'screen size aware' (like the old mobile asp.net<http://asp.net> controls... not that i think that's necessarily a good idea, but would save us work if the calendar control behaved differently on Vista versus s60, for eg.). * file format handlers (like the vista preview handlers) - show me PDF, OOXML, XPS, etc read-only but searchable/selectable (if the underlying doc security allows)... handle _files_ as well as it does _media_. * i've seen discussion of an up/downsizer where you deploy a common Xaml 'app' to WPF/Silverlight... not sure how realistic that is - but Acropolis and Entity Framework (and MVC?) seem like a good basis for separating presentation from logic enough to accomplish it... There's probably plenty of DLR ideas around too - haven't had a chance to play with that. I would have said unit testing & more 'software engineering' infrastructure if i didn't recently see the tests, etc for the controls being made available. _that_ is cool. ...my 2c worth ;-) cd http://www.conceptdevelopment.net ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzSilverlight.com - to unsubscribe from this list, send a message back to the list with 'unsubscribe' as the subject. Powered by mailenable.com<http://mailenable.com> - List managed by www.readify.net<http://www.readify.net> ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzSilverlight.com - to unsubscribe from this list, send a message back to the list with 'unsubscribe' as the subject. Powered by mailenable.com<http://mailenable.com> - List managed by www.readify.net<http://www.readify.net> ------------------------------------------------------------------- OzSilverlight.com - to unsubscribe from this list, send a message back to the list with 'unsubscribe' as the subject. 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